Authors Note: Hello my precious little heathens~ It's time for Toman and Moebius to clash! This will be an exciting chapter to write I won't lie, even if this part doesn't have the most going on everyone is assembled! So look forward to our next few updates, pt. 2 is already underway~ Also! Wish my dear editor in chief a happy birthday! This boy has worked hard to help edit this pt. (Editor's note: I'm so tired but I do this for you all! I'mma go take a B-Day nap now! Buh-bye!) As always please enjoy, and let us know what you think! We're always glad to hear your thoughts.
August 3rd, 2005
"Hey, isn't that..."
"You gotta be shittin' me!"
"No one said he'd be here."
The Moebius members gasped as Peh-yan stared at his former friend and commander in shock. "Mikey..."
"Mikey...!" Meiko gapped as Mikey finally entered the scene turning off his bike, her eyes shifting from between him to Peh-yan noting how the teen's eyes flashed with hints of not only fear but regret as he stared at the obviously unamused Toman Commander as he slowly began to make his way towards the Moebius members and him. 'What a relief. Now he can stop Peh.' She thought staring at the two teens, as she subconsciously wiped the dried blood from the corner of her mouth. 'All of this has gotten out of hand. This needs to stop already before it's too late.'
"Mikey-kun!!" Takemichi exclaimed, staring at the male in shock. 'No way... So it was him...' He thought, 'He and Meiko...' In his mind he could imagine the older Mikey in the future holding the future version of his older sister Meiko as she cradled her still flat stomach. 'They were together! On that day Yayoi-san dragged me away... I almost met with the future Mikey!' He thought as his stomach twisted into knots, 'I... I can't believe it's actually true...' Looking between his still heavily breathing sister and the glaring blonde, Takemichi silently wondered. 'Just how... Did that even happen in the first place?'
"I see now." Mikey muttered as he came closer and closer to the large group that stood between him and his friends. "The reason I got called to be somewhere else in the middle of my date was so you could attack Ken-chin." Mikey loudly noted.
'Eh, so someone else had this planned out...?' Takemichi thought, recalling his sister's words to him when they first met up after his discovery of Kiyomasa.
"Oh!" Meiko exclaimed, "This... Uh, let's just say I ran into a bit of trouble... But I handled it... more or less. As for Mikey..." She frowned at this, "He was called away by Peh-yan so... He's actually not at the festival anymore." She explained.
"And then you were gonna put the blame on me and break Toman in half..." Mikey bluntly remarked as he came up directly towards Peh-yan. "Right?"
Refusing to meet Mikey's gaze Peh-yan gritted his teeth and curled his fists as he shouted in frustration. "I'm just doing this for Pah-chin-"
"This isn't how you do shit." Mikey snapped seeing right through other boys' bravado. "Tell me... Who tricked you into doing this?"
"So even he could tell..." Meiko muttered as Takemichi gaped at his sister in shock. "That this was way too well planned to be Peh." She noted, both Mitsuya and Draken's eyes narrowing at the girl's words as they took this observation.
"Peh isn't the smartest guy around..." Mitsuya muttered, "But he isn't-"
"Yeah..." Draken grunted, "This isn't his style."
Frowning deeply at the boy's words Emma quietly noted, "He said this is for Pah-chin, right...? Do you think..."
"Wait, does that mean someone tricked Peh-yan into doing all this?" Takemichi asked the other teens, before he gasped, recalling the future Osanai's words to him and Naoto and the theory that came from it by his partner in the future.
"It was all a part of 'his' plan."
"Whoever he was talking about was plotting to split Toman up, and Osanai just got used."
'Wait... then could Kiyomasa-kun be being manipulated too?' Takemichi silently wondered in his mind as he looked back towards Mikey and Peh-yan as another figure entered the scene.
"Wow, I'm impressed." Meiko tensed up hearing the familiar bored tone of the speaker as the older male slowly walked up behind Mikey. "Guess you're not just brawn after all." The male hummed to himself, as Mikey turned to look at the newest arrival unimpressed. "How dull."
"The hell are you supposed to be?" Mikey asked, blankly staring at the teen.
"That's..." Meiko gasped, causing the teens to look at her confused.
"Do you know him, Mei-nee?" Takemichi asked, noting how his sister's body tensed and her tired gaze became alert as she almost shifted in her place.
Taking a quick drag for his cigarette before exhaling the familiar teen responded, "Tired." Before walking out from under the umbrella one of his men had held over his head to fully stand before Mikey. "It really doesn't matter who I am. But I'm sorta in charge of Moebius for now." A smirk slowly formed on his lips as he pulled a familiar hair ornament out of his pocket and flashed it to Mikey. Watching with a twisted sense of glee as he noted the slight widening of Mikey's eyes and the tensing of the males muscles as he registered the item in his hand. "Though I'm sure Meiko-chan wouldn't mind telling ya, who I am?"
"HANMA!" Meiko snapped trying to rise to her feet, as Takemichi turned to try and stop his sister.
"Mei-nee!"
"You bastard! It was you wasn't it!" She yelled, "You were the one who-"
"Hey now~" Hanma grinned looking over the top of Mikey towards the glaring girl. "If it isn't my new favorite chicky." His grin spread as he noticed a slight twitch from Mikey. "Look. At. You." He whistled slowly, "Gotta say... I'm diggy, the whole battle worn look you're rocking now, it's actually pretty hot." He taunted, "Makes me kinda sad I wasn't the one to put you in that state after you almost broke my nose during our pleasant little chat from earlier." He smiled, as Meiko someone pushed Takemichi off her to fully stand back up.
"Chat!? You cancer sucking zombie, you tried to-"
"Meiko!" Takemichi concerndly snapped trying to hold his sister back as she flipped the male off, 'What the heck?! Just what happened between her and this guy!' Takemichi could not help but mentally scream and wonder to himself as Meiko struggled against his hold. 'Just what in the actual hell!? First Mikey, then Kiyomasa, then Osanai, and now this guy! I'm starting to think my sister's some sort of danger magnet!'
Clenching his fist by his side, Mikey darkly glared up at the taller male as he took in everything he had just heard. "So... Not only are you the creeper who's been pulling the strings. But you even tried something with Ei-chan."
Smirking down at the shorter teen Hanma responded, "Wow, you seriously are a pain in the ass, Mikey-"
BAAAM
Cigarette and hair piece knocked out of his hands, Hanma blocked Mikey's sudden opening kick towards his head. Mikey, Draken, Emma, and Mitsuya's eyes all went wide in shock, Meiko's jaw dropping, and Takemichi was left in utter awe and terror at what they had all bore witness too.
"He stopped Mikey's kick?!" Mitsuya gapped as he, Draken, and Emma knew better than most how much of a feat that was.
"I-impossible." Emma stuttered, "No one ever stops Mikey's kick."
"I knew it..." Meiko shook in place focusing her complete gaze on the smuggly smirking Hanma. "That guy is pure trouble."
"No need to be in such a damn hurry Mikey-kun." Hanma taunted as he shook the arm that he used to block Mikey's kick. "Crushing Toman is our long term goal... But it's so much work~ We felt like we'd try and get you to fight yourselves." Hanma revealed as the rest of his men slowly began to to fall in line around the small group of Toman teens. "I mean, it works out the same in the end." Hanma sadistically grinned, "This way just has an added benefit." He manically gleamed while covering half of his face with the hand that had tattooed the kanji for punishment on it. "I get to kill the Invincible Mikey with my own two hands!"
"He's insane..." Meiko growled. She, Mitsuya, Draken, and Takemichi all openly glaring at the older teen before them as Takemichi wondered to himself.
'Is this really the guy behind everything?'
"Moebius, an entire gang of one hundred people!" Hanma dramatically shouted, holding his hands and arm wide and open. "Versus Four guys from Toman!" He pointed towards Meiko, "And their little cheerleader!" Hanma taunted, as he watched Draken try to push Emma further behind him as Meiko openly growled at the insult. "Don't you dare wuss out this time, assholes!" He turned to stare manically down at the openly nervous and fearful Moebius members who watched him. "Cause if you do, you'll find out I'm not a softie like Osanai." He began warning, as all of his subordinates stood even straighter in attention.
"Yes, sir!"
"And if any of you dare run away, I'll hunt you down and smash your teeth down your throat!!" He threatened, watching as the Moebius members became more fearful of him even as they fell into line.
"Yes, sir!!"
"Mikey n' Draken, my little friends..." Hanma grinned in ecstasy as he looked over at the small group. "You're as good as dead~"
'...What the hell's going on?' Takemichi silently wondered to himself in shock. 'Naoto didn't mention any of this.' He thought, staring at the scene before him. 'The internal conflict should've been resolved. But now a different conflict's happening.' He anxiously realized as he felt his heart race in his chest. 'Wait, is this my fault?' His breathing slightly began to race, 'Is history heading in a weird new direction? Now stopping Kiyomasa-kun won't be enough! What am I supposed to-' He stopped mid thought as he suddenly felt a familiar gentle hand grasp his own as his gaze flew up towards his sister.
"Don't worry..." Meiko quietly muttered to the slightly shaken Hanagaki boy, giving him a small reassuring smile and a squeeze of his hand as she told him. "We'll find a way through this."
Takemichi stared at his sister in awe as he opened his mouth, "Mei-nee..." He stopped though when he heard the familiar sound of motorcycle engines, this time multiple, approaching again. "Huh?"
Mitsuya sighed in relief, "Just in time."
"Huh-" Meiko began to say as a familiar wine red bike skidded into the parking lot with two figures sitting on the back of the bike.
"Yahoo~!! Hola ninos~" The driver waved, "Special delivery for one Meiko-chan~" The driver said as she removed her helmet and shook out her hair, as both the Toman teens and the Moebius members stared at the woman in shock.
"Reina-san?!" Takemichi and Meiko exclaimed in shock as the passenger on the bike stumbled off the vehicle, throwing her helmet off and gasping for air.
'Yayoi-san too?!' Takemichi thought as he and his sister gapped at the girl and her mother's sudden appearance.
"Uh!!!" Yayoi shouted before collapsing to her knees pale as she shook in place. "N...never again."
"Yai!" Mitsuya and Meiko then shouted, as the shaking red haired girl looked up towards them and grinned weakly at them.
"Why is she...?" Meiko looked towards Mitsuya as the boy slightly laughed at the girl's sudden appearance.
"Well I'll be..."
"Y-yo... We brought... the cavalry." Yayoi laughed, as not too soon after she said that a familiar group of teens all rode into the parking lot, close behind the mother and daughter pair, causing Mikey, Emma, Draken, and Mitsuya all to smile in relief as the Tokyo Manji Gang finally entered the scene.
"Man... Look at this mess." Muto Yasuhiro, Ie Mucho, Captain of Fifth Division huffed as he and his fellow captains approached their Commander and friends. "Infighting's really not my thing."
"But we can go all-out if we're fighting Moebius!" Fourth Division Captain, Kawata Nahoya, otherwise known as Smiley, grinned as the pair walked past the still shaking Yayoi.
"Just means that the big showdown's tonight." Baji Keisuke, Captain of the First Division, simply grinned from around the hair tie he carried in his mouth as when he walked past Yayoi he quickly ruffled the red head's hair. "Nice work calling us up Yai~"
"Oi!" Yayoi snapped, "No me toques asi!" As her mother laughed into her hand at her daughter's interaction with the Toman member.
"Que adorable..." Yayoi growled as she sent her mother a glare in disgust.
"Really, Yai thanks!" Chifuyu grinned, following not that long behind his captain as he flashed the red head a thumbs up. "Mitsuya and you did great."
"All I did was call ya, what's with all the praise?" Yayoi gruffly huffed, pulling her hood over her head as she tried to hide the blushing trying to form on her cheek. "I haven't done shit."
Walking close behind him eyeing the red haired teen, Mitsuya's second in command, Shiba Hakkai, nodded to the girl with a slight grin. "Yeah man thanks." He said, before catching sight of the smiling Reina and becoming flustered and nervous and quickly speeding up to follow behind his fellow Toman members to escape being in the female's presence.
"..." Tensing at the boys words, Yayoi slowly looked up at her slightly surprised mother and asked. "Did... I just get confused for a guy... again?"
"... Maybe you should try wearing less baggy clothes...? And let your hair grow out again...?" Reina nervously suggested, watching as her daughter entered a silent state of depression.
"God... Damn... It..."
"You guys..." Mikey almost seemed to sigh in joy as all of Toman stood in line and file, proudly and confidently before their Commander. "Of course you came."
"All right all you jackasses! The Tokyo Manji Gang is here now." Baji loudly declared, smirking as he quickly began to tie his hair up. "Hey, Emma." He looked down towards the slightly red puffy eyed girl and nodded to her, "You know the rules. Time to get off the field." He sternly ordered, showing hints of concern for the obviously once distressed girl as she frowned at him.
Looking between her crush, brother, Mitsuya, and the Hanagaki siblings, Emma sighed in defeat. "Okay." Before looking back towards Draken and whispering, "Please be careful..."
Draken looked at the blonde girl a bit surprised, before smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry." He nodded with a smirk. "Everyone's here now ain't they. We got this."
"I know..." Emma smiled at this before giving him a quick hug, "Just be safe." Releasing the older boy Emma slightly blushed as she quickly rose and fled through a small pathway the Toman members made for her quick escape, never noting the slight blush on Drakens cheek as he coughed into his hand and sent a somewhat smug Mitsuya a glare as the lilac-haired teen noted the interaction.
"Not... A word."
"I didn't say shit."
"So, who wants to die first?" Smiley taunted as Mucho angrily glared out into the crowd of Moebius.
"Peh!! You're the one I wanna kill first!" He shouted out.
From his spot amongst the Moebius member's Peh shook at the appearance of all his old friends and gangmates. "Shit!" Taking a nervous step back as a sense of guilt and regret tried to pool in his stomach, only to be stopped as Hanma placed a hand firmly on his head stopping him from stepping back further.
"Now things are getting interesting." Hanma grinned menically. "The party's really gonna get started!"
"Woah..." Meiko quietly muttered, as she looked between the gangs she and Takemichi stood between. "This is... insane. There's so many people here now..." She noted while thinking, 'This is definitely gonna get ugly real quick.'
'Shit.' Takemichi thought, 'How am I gonna keep an eye out for Kiyomasa-kun now!'
"Man..." Finally finding the strength to get back on his feet, Draken steadily stood as he eyed Hanma and the whole of Moebius. "Getting into a big-ass brawl on the day of the festival... really gets my blood pumpin'." He grinned, taking his place firmly beside Mikey.
'Draken-kun!!' Takemichi gapped, "Don't..."
"Are you insane?!" Meiko almost seemed to snap, "Actually no. Yes! Yes you are! You took a serious hit to the head Draken, don't tell me you plan to join in on this fight with a bleeding head."
'Ei...' Mitsuya gapped at the dark haired girl in shock, 'Have they really bonded so much over just one fight?' He wondered, noting how although upset and slightly banged up, the Hanagaki sister's biggest concern seemed to be for their mutual friend's well being. Even with the obvious brawl about to go down.
"Thanks for the concern Ei..." Draken huffed, "But... It's only a flesh wound." He joked, hoping to settle the girl's concerns.
"Bastard! Don't you just quote Monty Python to me!" Meiko yelled, "I should have never shown you that movie if this was how you were gonna use our bonding experience!"
'Huh?' Takemichi looked between his sister and Draken in shock, 'They watched one of her movies together? When the heck did this happen?!' Takemichi wondered, 'Seriously, I need to ask, Meimei just how the hell has she been getting involved with these guys when I'm not around?!'
"Ken-chin...?" Mikey couldn't help but stare in wonder, noting how much closer his dearest friend and crush had seemingly become with the light banter he witnessed. Though there was this slight prick of envy in his heart over the idea that the pair had spent such time alone, another part of his heart swelled knowing that his friend approved the girl Mikey longed for.
Looking back at his shorter friend, Draken grinned as he asked, "You ready to rock n' roll Mikey?"
"Haha." Laughing to himself Mikey smiled cockily as he turned back to face Hanma and Moebius. "Yeah, Ken-chin." He said, as slowly all the real Toman members began to advance forward to join their two commanders. "Let's do this shit!" Mikey yelled, charging forward alongside his men as Takemichi and Meiko watched in awe as Moebious began to charge right back at them as Hanma ordered the members.
"Kill 'em all!!" He yelled, smiling sadistically as he watched both sides clash.
"Shit!" Taking her brother by the back of his collar Meiko quickly tried to drag the shocked Takemichi back away from the ensuing fight within the parking lot. "They're really going to go at it! We should- ah!" She yelled, as she found herself suddenly separated from her brother as certain members of Toman that charged past her all seemed to shove her back toward the edge of the parking lot where Emma, Yayoi, and Reina stood. "Huh?!" She blinked a few times, confused as she realized she had landed on her ass with her hand still stretched out. Grasping at the air with it mindlessly as she slowly realized she had lost her grip on Takemichi.
"Meiko-chan!" Reina shouted in relief, "Oh my~ It seems those boys pushed you right out of the fight. Such gentlemen."
Emma sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, I wasn't sure what those guys were gonna do with you still back in there. It's good to know the guys still remember their manners."
Looking around the crowd Yayoi muttered, "Hold on... Where's Takemichi-kun? Did he seriously stay in there to fight...?" She asked, before looking towards Emma. "Also, what about Draken? You said he was hurt right, so where-"
"THOSE DUMBASSES?!" Meiko shouted, jumping up to her feet cutting Yayoi off.
"Whaa-!"
Angrily staring down the all out brawl, Meiko growled as she glared at the fighting gang members. "THEY SEND ME OUT WITHOUT ISSUE! BUT KEEP MY, and I say this out of brutal honesty and love, WEAKASS BROTHER AND A BANGED UP DRAKEN IN THERE TO FIGHT?! ARE THEY TRYING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED?"
"Mei-chan-" Emma tried to call out to calm the girl down, "Wait, it's too dangerous for us to-"
"Danger schmanger!" Meiko snapped, "When the people you love are in danger or being dumb its your job to either force them to take a step back or beat some sense into to them!" Meiko angrily tore off the other sleeve of her ruined Yukata before tearing that piece even more to construct a makeshift hair tie to tie up her wet hair. "Man or woman, adult or child, delinquent or school kid, it don't fucking matter!" She gave the makeshift hair tie one final tug, "If I have the power to do something-" She ran forward as Emma stared at the older teen in awe and wonder, "Then it's my motto to just do it!!" She entered the fray without so much as a shred of fear or hesitation, 'For our future Michi has tried so hard to save... I have to find Draken, and keep him safe!'
"Mei! Wait-" Yayoi shouted, stopping as her mother held her back. "Ma-"
"Let her go." Reina seriously ordered shocking the younger Shimizu.
"Huh, but..."
Shaking her head, Reina smiled confidently as she looked towards the fighting teens as more people began to join them to watch the spectacle. "Come now, this is far from you... I know this is far from your comfort zone. But we know she has her reasons for going back in there..." She looked down at her daughter smiling, "You trust Meiko-chan on just about everything... So just trust her to be able to handle this here."
"Wha- Of course I trust Mei!" Yayoi stuttered before blushing at her mother's honest words of comfort and reassurance as she had to look away and back towards the fighting boys and teens her best friend had charged into. "I just... I worry too, you know."
"Lo se..." Reina hummed before she pointed, looking past her daughter, "But I think there's someone you need to help keep in check." She said, as Yayoi turned to see a silent Emma staring off into the distance. "Lest we have more people to worry about getting hurt."
"Emma-chan..."
Staring out at the fighting Moebius and Toman members, Emma could not help but replay Meiko's words throughout her head as she watched her brother's gang and friends all fight as one.
"When the people you love are being dumb or in danger its your job to either beat sense into to them or force them to take a step back!" Meiko angrily said. "Man or woman, adult or child, delinquent or school kid, it don't fucking matter! If I have the power to do something then it's my motto to just do it!!"
She recalled Draken's bloody state and anxiously clasped her hands before her chest shaking, 'Mei-chan's right... I should have said something...' She thought, 'I should have done something.' Her mind flashed to seeing the way Draken and Meiko had fought off the initial sneak attack by Moebious. The way the two slowly fell into sync as they began to watch one another's backs, and began working with each other to do more damage and take out more members the longer the fight went on. '...I should have never let you guys just make me stay on the side.' Looking up at the all out fight waging before her she took a cautious step forward, 'I should have protected you too, Draken...'
"Emma-chan." Yayoi said, coming up beside Emma as she noticed the blondes glare and step forward. She hesitated before lightly resting her hands on the girl's arm reassuringly as the blonde looked towards her in shock. "I know that look you're making..." Yayoi smiled, "Mei makes the same look before she starts charging into something like some Komainu about to kick ass and take names..." She joked, before smiling solemnly. "Look... I... I'm not the best at comforting people... but... I know you wanna help... I do too!" She admitted shyly, "But I think there are already enough idiots fighting and getting hurt tonight." She winced as from the corner of her eye she caught one Moebius member getting his arm dislocated. "So... let's try to not make things even worse by getting in over our heads..." She said before looking back towards Emma. "Let's just trust Mei in that she's gonna get your man and that dumb brother of her's out of this fight safe and sound."
"But...That isn't fair! I can fight too..." Emma began to argue looking towards the ground in frustration, "I should be doing something too... I..." Shaking her head she glared at the red haired girl, "How can we just let Mei-chan do this on her own, aren't you worried at all about her being safe too?!"
Yayoi smiled grimly at this, "Well... yeah, course I am." She huffed looking once more towards the fight, "... But... I trust Mei... Just like I know you do ." Emma looked away a bit in shame at this, "And besides..." Yayoi waited until she felt Emma's gaze land back on her, as she smiled a bit shyly. "Even if he's not the strongest... Or the bravest... Or the most competent... Meiko's got her own Crybaby Hero that's sure to look out for her. That's just the way those two work." She confidently explained, "They look out for each other."